AN: I don't have a chapter of 'A Measure of Company' fully finished and polished this week. I hope this oneshot I wrote and posted some time ago can fill the spot over here even just a little bit. I just want to say that I'm really happy that you guys are enjoying the mpreg and I'm always delighted to see what you have to say.
The following fic was written for an anon prompt at the kakairu_kink LJ community. Those prompts are so inspiring; the title is from a line in "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
Responsible, forever, for what you have tamed
Iruka took the expected mission-report from Yamato with a smile, but this faded as he noticed the deep crease of worry between Yamato's dark brows.
"Is everything alright, Yamato-san?" he asked and quickly browsed the neatly filled form. That was odd; this mission had been led by Kakashi, and all mission captains were required to fill in the report-forms. As a matter of fact, Iruka had been dreading this particular report, because it would mean that he would have to spend long minutes squinting at Kakashi's handwriting and wondering if the man had written it upside-down.
Obviously, Hatake Kakashi didn't put much stock into neatness, like Yamato here. Iruka stamped everything quickly and set it at the bottom of files to order, looking up at Yamato again.
Yamato simply said, "As fine as to be expected, Iruka-sensei," and then walked out of the Mission Room at a sedate pace. Still, the set of his shoulders was quite tense and he hadn't given Iruka his normal small smile.
Something had happened to Kakashi, Iruka deduced, and then shrugged it off. Whatever was wrong with him, the Godaime or Shizune would certainly help. Too bad his general asshole-ness was incurable, Iruka thought uncharitably. Although Iruka wasn't one to hold a grudge, there was something about the Copy-nin that kind of pissed him off, a lot, ever since their argument over the Chuunin exams. It didn't help that, instead of ignoring Iruka the way Iruka tried to ignore him, Kakashi insisted on mocking the chuunin at every turn, teasing and poking fun. It made Iruka's blood boil and Kakashi would just wink at him.
Iruka didn't hate anyone, but he could safely say that Hatake Kakashi was not on his holiday gift-giving list... ever.
"Alright, all done," he announced at the end of his shift; he organized the reports by rank and then by name, going over to the large Records room and placing them in the ranks drawers. He paused, and then rifled again for Yamato's report, reading it very carefully.
At the end, in one of the boxes that contained information of all the team-members, he saw: HK-009720/TC/S: OOC. He raised his eyebrows; that was Kakashi's name and registration number, his position on the team during the mission and the state he was left in.
OOC. Out of Commission. Not Physically Injured, and if he had been fine, the line would have been left blank. Just OOC; secretive and serious business indeed.
Iruka pushed down an odd thread of worry and headed home.
The words OOC seemed to hover over his head, however; as he strolled through the still, warm night he found himself wondering what exactly had happened to the Copy-nin. The answer, unfortunately, came to him a little violently.
There was a shout of, "No, stop!" from behind him and before he could turn around, something large landed on his back; long legs went around his waist and strong arms slung around his neck. Iruka staggered under the sudden weight and then dropped backwards suddenly, hoping to crush his attacker on the ground. It worked and the tight hold around his body loosened. Iruka scrambled up, spinning around to face his assailant, kunai in hand.
Kakashi was getting up from the ground and Iruka stared. Kakashi's clothing was tattered, his green vest gone and his mask was pulled down to barely cover his mouth, revealing a narrow nose. Kakashi's eye narrowed at him and a deep, rumbling sound emanated from his chest. Was Kakashi... growling at him?
"Stop that," Iruka commanded, a little rattled from his behaviour. If OOC for Kakashi meant he was back to teasing Iruka, he was having nothing of it. "And your mask, it's almost off." Without thinking, Iruka re-sheathed his kunai and stepped forward, grasping the edge of the stretchy black material, hauling it up back over his nose. Kakashi blinked at him and then grabbed Iruka's hands, staring at them intently. Then, he rubbed his face against Iruka's palms, and made a sound like a large, contented cat.
Iruka's jaw fell open.
"Iruka-sensei!" A group of people was running up the street towards them but these loud grieved tones were all Maito Gai.
Kakashi grabbed Iruka around the waist, pulled him into a tight hug and went back to the growling; this time, however, Iruka was sure he was snarling at the persons behind him. "Okay, okay," he could hear a female voice say behind him in soothing tones; it was Shizune. "It's okay, Kakashi-san."
"What's going on?!" Iruka cried. He couldn't see Shizune, not from the way Kakashi was clutching him close and he struggled to free himself. "Kakashi!" he yelled, too annoyed to deal with honorifics right now. "You're squeezing me!"
Obediently, Kakashi loosened his hold and Iruka spun around in the circle of his arms to see Shizune, Yamato and some ANBU standing in the middle of the road; there were other jounin behind them, clearing away the civilians quickly. They all looked as if they'd gone a round with a band of fighting bears; even Gai seemed to be missing a part of an eyebrow and looked fairly put out about it.
"Senpai," Yamato pleaded. "Please let go of the sensei and come here."
Kakashi growled menacingly and then nuzzled Iruka's neck. Iruka made a face.
"Can someone tell me," he tried to say calmly, "what the hell is going on?"
"I'm so sorry, Iruka-sensei, but Kakashi was hit with a very powerful jutsu." Shizune was inching close as she spoke but Kakashi edged away with every step she took, dragging Iruka with him. "Right now, he's in a very feral frame of mind."
"What?!" Iruka choked out.
"Like a wild animal," Yamato explained, creeping in from the other side. Kakashi noticed him too; Iruka was close enough to see through the weave of Kakashi's mask and the man was baring his teeth. "He escaped from one of my wooden-cages, we need to get him back for treatment."
"It's a wonder he hasn't mauled you," one of the other jounin called; it sounded like Genma. "He nearly tore us apart with wild chakra when he escaped."
Iruka frowned and put his hands on Kakashi's arms. "Kakashi-sensei," he said, pushing firmly. "Let me go."
Kakashi obeyed, but he remained glued to Iruka's back, snuffling anxiously. Iruka blinked in confusion at the wide-eyed stares of the jounin in front of him.
"What are you staring at?"
"Maybe we should leave Kakashi-sensei with you," Shizune said slowly. "I mean, he hasn't mauled you. Much. And the jutsu will wear off soon, it's better to keep him calm."
"Yeah." Genma's voice was speculative. "He's actually kind of tame around you, Iruka-sensei."
"What?! No!" Iruka burst out. "Take him back, I can't take care of him!"
Kakashi whimpered piteously. Iruka turned, staring at him, and blinked at the wide-eyed, wounded expression on the man's face. Because Iruka was too soft-hearted and he had never learned how to defend himself against the sight of a tall, hot, lanky jounin with a kicked-puppy face, he sighed and closed his eyes tightly for a moment.
"Alright," he groaned in resignation and Kakashi tried to clamber him in delight. "No! Down, Kakashi, DOWN!"
*
Kakashi gamboled around Iruka's small apartment, rolling around on the floor this minute before scampering off to sniff at Iruka's sandals by the door. Iruka watched him in exasperation as he tried to unpack the food he had bought on the way home (he had had to tell Kakashi to stay outside the shop, which he did but he had peered in at Iruka the whole time, as if Iruka was going to leave him).
"Kakashi!" Iruka called as he settled cross-legged at his low table. Kakashi raced over to him, ran around Iruka and the table a few times and then collapsed on the ground beside the sensei, panting heavily and grinning. He had on a pair of Iruka's boxers, slung low over his narrow hips and nothing else.
"Silly," Iruka scolded, but he was smiling in return. Kakashi had ripped off his mask as soon as they had gotten inside the apartment, looking curiously around and sniffing at the air; Iruka had tried to cover his shock and not to stare at the pale handsomeness of his face, closing all the curtains tightly. Now, Kakashi rolled closer, stared at the bowl Iruka was serving out for him and then blinked up at Iruka.
"Here," Iruka said, holding out the bowl of food. Kakashi just looked at it. "Oh, do you want me to feed you?"
Kakashi snuggled up to him, all warm and limp and sweet as he closed his eye in obvious contentment, burying his nose into Iruka's side and inhaling. Iruka put down the bowl and then placed a tentative hand in his hair, marveling at the rough gray strands against his fingertips. "You should be like this all the time," he murmured and Kakashi opened his normal eye; the Copy-nin pawed in annoyance at the eye-patch that Iruka had fashioned for him, pulling it up so he could look at Iruka with the Sharingan.
"No, no." Iruka tugged it back down and patted Kakashi's cheek. "No, Kakashi, don't do that. Shizune-san said that I should make sure you keep this on, alright?"
Kakashi just stared at him, wide-eyed and trusting.
"Okay," Iruka said slowly, shaken by that look in the normally languid, distant expression. "Let's-- let's eat, Kakashi."
*
Iruka had a hard time getting Kakashi settled inside the living room. He would tuck him under the thin sheet and try to rush to his own small room; but Kakashi would race past him and tumble onto the bed, rolling and making happy, snuffling noises.
Iruka finally had to drag the whimpering Copy-nin back out, scold him roundly and leave him curled unhappily on the long couch. Against his better judgment, however, he peeped out on his guest twice in one hour... just to make sure he was sleeping, that was all.
Iruka fell asleep in just a few moments, (he considered this his one true natural talent; Mizuki always teased that Iruka's habit of falling into an instant deep sleep was like a bloodline limit) but he was rudely awoken in the middle of the night by someone licking him, long strokes of a warm tongue against his neck. His eyes flew open to see a wild bush of gray hair almost obscuring his vision.
"Kakashi, wha-- nggh," Iruka groaned, arching up against the lean, warm body on top of him. He felt a solid erection pressing against his thigh and he trembled in arousal, feeling his own cock twitch and thicken in response. "Oh," he breathed as Kakashi growled possessively in his ear, thrusting against him. Vaguely, he thought that if Kakashi was acting like an animal now, then this whole situation was extremely freaky, but his body wasn't paying attention to what his brain was trying to turn over. Kakashi pulled wildly at his sleep-shirt, nearly tearing it to shreds before Iruka could pull it off himself.
"Kakashi, wait," he tried to say in a very stern voice, but with Kakashi humping him, the task of sounding teacherly was miles out of his reach. Kakashi kept making this sound, a sharp keen in the back of his throat every time he pressed himself between Iruka's legs.
A very tiny and officious part of his mind stood aside. I thought you didn't even like Kakashi, it accused.
The rest of Iruka, hot and aroused and getting the most incredible sex in, like, five years, rose up and pummeled this tiny part viciously. Shut up, this greater section snapped. He's out of his mind, he doesn't know what he's doing and I am totally okay with that right now.
Oh, alright, the officious part said meekly and went away.
Kakashi howled when he came and then bit Iruka on the shoulder. Iruka cried out, shaking underneath him and clawing down that strong back as he came as well.
Iruka was still panting hard when Kakashi tucked in close to him, sniffing under Iruka's armpit.
"That's so weird, Kakashi," Iruka said and then fell asleep mid-breath.
*
It was a Saturday the next day, so Iruka really didn't appreciate the screams of distress coming from his living room at ass o'clock in the morning. The part of his brain that was dedicated to ignoring the whines of small children who didn't want to do their homework kicked in and he actually got about five more minutes of sleep before he jumped up, threw on a t-shirt and raced to where someone was hopefully not being mauled by a feral Kakashi.
He saw Maito Gai hopping around near the kitchen, holding one leg up and yelling at the top of his voice... which could be very loud indeed.
"My most esteemed and vicious Rival!" Gai bellowed and Iruka saw Kakashi stalking Gai, a piece of Gai's green spandex in his mouth. Oh no, Iruka thought hysterically, Kakashi bit him. "I was simply checking if your Youthful Hipness was still intact!"
Kakashi's menacing growl indicated that his Youthful Hipness was indeed intact, and he was going to use it to destroy this loud green intruder.
"Kakashi, don't bite him again," Iruka said quickly. Kakashi's head snapped around and he studied Iruka with a narrowed eye. Then, he loped over to the middle of the room, so that he was standing between Gai and Iruka, still making that threatening rumble deep in his chest.
"Maybe I shouldn't have come through the window," Gai mused. "I forgot you could be very territorial, Kakashi." Gai seemed to get over the whole biting thing really quickly and grinned. "But that is just you, Kakashi! SO HIP."
Iruka had forgotten just how insane all jounin could be. "I'm really sorry, Gai-sensei, please remember that he is not himself. I'm sure you remember chasing him last night," he muttered and darted forward, grabbing onto Kakashi's arm; the man's body was tense, as if he was just about to launch himself at Gai. He relaxed a little at Iruka's touch, but shuffled again so that he was blocking Iruka from Gai's view. Iruka reached up and touched his chin, turning his face. "Kakashi. I'm alright. Gai is our friend, remember? He won't hurt me."
Kakashi's eye slid back towards Gai distrustfully, his growl growing louder. Iruka shook his chin to regain his attention. "Stop that," he commanded and Kakashi stopped.
"Iruka-sensei," Gai said in awe. "Your Level of Hipness! I wasn't aware that you were--"
"I think you need to go," Iruka warned, because Kakashi had gone back to pulling at his grip, still silent as ordered, but with his eye fixed intently on the green, loud threat. "If I let him go on you, I'm not sure what will happen."
"Oh, I understand completely, Iruka-sensei!" Gai leaped up onto the window-sill hastily and was about to strike some Heroic Pose, but, whoops, Iruka released Kakashi; it was completely not on purpose, honest. Kakashi was over by the window in a heartbeat and Gai leaped for his life from the sixth floor.
Kakashi turned back to Iruka, his face open and expectant. Iruka raised his arms in invitation and Kakashi slunk against the wall slyly, eye fixed on Iruka as he got closer.
"Come here!" Iruka laughed, reaching out for him but Kakashi danced teasingly away. There was an extended session of chase and Iruka was torn between trying to catch him and watching how he moved; Kakashi usually walked with a careless slouch and Iruka always found it hard to reconcile that walk with the stories of the clever, infamous Copy-nin. Now, he could see that the tales were true. Kakashi slipped and twisted and turned easily, vaulting off the walls and flipping over Iruka's head. Iruka was forced to use Naruto-tactics to catch him, which were basically just brute force and determination. After their play-time, Kakashi held him down on the floor and sniffed him all over, even behind his knees and his toes. When he tried to move, Kakashi growled at him, but there was nothing ferocious behind it.
Iruka lay still on his stomach and allowed him to smell, his heart beating quickly. There was an expectant pause and he rolled over to see Kakashi still kneeling over him, looking down at him with a hungry expression. He slithered down and put his nose unceremoniously against Iruka's crotch.
"Kakashi, wait." Iruka grabbed at his hair and pulled his head up, looking down at that trusting expression. "You... you shouldn't-- I mean, weshouldn't, because you don't know what you're doing, and-- HEY," he finished loudly, because Kakashi just plunked his face right back in Iruka's lap as his grip loosened, wriggling happily all over at whatever scent he found. He rose up again, nudging at Iruka's face with his nose.
"Oh," Iruka moaned and without thinking, he turned and kissed Kakashi right on those thin lips.
Kakashi reared back, staring down at him. The trusting expression was wiped from his features... and a shocked awareness began to slip in.
Iruka's heart sank as Kakashi said in a very remote tone, "Forgive me, Iruka-sensei. It appears that I'm rudely draped all over you." He got up carefully and looked down at himself for a long, silent moment. Then, he covered his mouth with both hands and fixed Iruka with a piercing gaze. "Do you have a handkerchief that I might borrow?"
Iruka got up slowly and and looked at Kakashi, who regarded him as if he hadn't been practically living in Iruka's lap for the past twelve hours or so. "I... I put your clothes in my room, mask and all," he managed to say. "You can go in there and change."
Kakashi nodded. "Thank you, sensei, for taking care of me." He slouched off and Iruka stared at his bare back in desperation; where was his lovable, cuddly, friendly Kakashi?
YOUR Kakashi?! the officious part of him came back to point out snidely. Wow, when did THAT happen?
The rest of Iruka, which was valiantly trying to appear collected as Kakashi walked out of his bedroom and left with no more than a quick incline of his head, beat this officious part to a pulp.
*
"Thank you for all your hard work," Iruka said through stiff lips as Kakashi handed in yet another mission report. Kakashi lifted one shoulder in lazy acknowledgment and sauntered out. Iruka surreptitiously watched the movement of his body underneath the loose shinobi uniform. Now that he knew how Kakashi could zoom from one place to another, this lazy façade was almost amusing... or it would be, if Iruka hadn't been going through this overwhelming sense of loss.
It was surprising, therefore, to find Kakashi standing beside his door as he came home from the Academy a few evenings after, leaning against the wall near Iruka's door with his nose stuck in that damned book.
"Iruka-sensei," Kakashi said without looking up, his eye moving from one side of the page to the other. "I've been waiting. Unless you have a shift tonight at the Missions Desk, then I'll have to speak to you some other day."
"Tonight is my free night," Iruka informed him, but he had the idea that Kakashi had known that from before. "We can talk, if you wish."
They entered in silence and Kakashi waited as Iruka switched on some lights and turned to face him. "How can I help you, Kakashi-sensei?"
"First of all, thanks again for being my caretaker for awhile," Kakashi said with surprising politeness.
"It was my pleasure," Iruka murmured, wondering how much of his 'care' Kakashi could recall.
"Secondly, I have a request to ask of you."
Iruka raised his eyebrows and waited.
"Whatever soap you're using to bathe, or your cologne?" Kakashi started pleasantly. "I would appreciate if you changed it."
Iruka's eyebrows remained suspended and Kakashi gave him a quick, one-eyed smile. However, Iruka had been the recipient of a real fond expression from the Copy-nin and this current smile was as warm as winter.
"I... beg your pardon?" Iruka croaked.
"Your smell." Kakashi dropped the friendly act and appeared disgruntled. "It's distracting me. Anytime I get near you, I feel like I want to put my nose in your neck. And when I go on missions, I want to hurry back to make sure you're alright." He narrowed his eye at Iruka. "It's messing with my head and I don't like it."
"I apologize," Iruka snapped, finally locating his naturally sharp tongue, "if my scent increases your crazy, I really am, but I think that it's your problem instead of mine."
"You might have done something to me when I was in your care," Kakashi pointed out in a very dangerous tone and Iruka scoffed.
"Please. If I wanted to do something to you, I'd have found something less insane than you getting all high-strung over the way I smell. Why can't you just admit you like me?" Iruka blurted and then clamped his lips shut, eyes wide. Sometimes his mouth forgot who was the boss here and absconded with his innermost thoughts.
Kakashi just stared at him. "You don't like me," he said slowly. Apparently, they were both genin again. "Sometimes I think you want to kill me."
"Well. That's true," Iruka admitted. "You're kind of annoying at times. Worse than a class full of children at the end of the school-year. But... now I know you don't really dislike me. You wouldn't have acted the way you did when you were feral."
"And how did I act, sensei?" Kakashi took a cautious step close and tilted his head. Iruka rolled his eyes; he was going to have to be the forward one here, wasn't he? Iruka walked right up to him and put his hands on Kakashi's forearms, smiling slightly up at him.
"Tame."
Kakashi said nothing; he just stood there, looking in Iruka's face with an unreadable expression. Iruka dredged up every ounce of bravery he had and slid his arms up Kakashi's arms and shoulders. He folded down the mask carefully and still there was no reaction.
When Iruka stepped even closer and pressed their lips together, Kakashi breathed out and parted his lips, letting Iruka kiss him thoroughly. His hands found their way into Iruka's hair, tugging out the band and letting it flow over his hands.
When Iruka pulled away, he was smugly pleased to note the dazed expression in Kakashi's eye.
"I'm not really tame, though, you do realize," Kakashi said breathlessly. "I mean, I bit Gai."
"Of course, you're completely right," Iruka placated and kissed him wild once more.
fin
*
Missing Scene, Kakashi's POV; 'In which Kakashi Remembers'
Kakashi stalked around his own apartment after he left that of Iruka-sensei, feeling rage and annoyance and helplessness, all based on a yearning to go back to Iruka and just snuggle with him.
Snuggle. The Copy-nin, Sharingan no Kakashi, Man of A Thousand Jutsu and he wanted to snuggle.
He vaguely remembered being struck with some mind-altering jutsu thrown by a small tribe of trouble-making missing-nin, which claimed that they were a new state that communicated with all kinds of animals, not just one species. He had been swarmed by them, as expected, and then someone just touched his temples and everything had descended into colour and smell and feeling. How Tenzo had gotten him back home was a mystery.
Amidst all that riot in his mind, a soothing island had appeared in the form of a human with the most delicious smell. Kakashi would have done anything to be near that smell forever, to taste that human and claim him completely. That human was his, and would be so as long as Kakashi could manage. The word mate mate mate had pounded through his mind whenever that human touched him, but while he was stronger and wanted to just pounce on him, he wouldn't; he would have more respect for his potential partner.
So he had smelled and touched and done so much with his wonderful human, who had strong but gentle hands and who could play marvelously.
The touch of Iruka-sensei's lips to his own had been what had broken the jutsu, reminding his brain of his humanity. Everything had immediately defused and rearranged itself in his mind; he had found himself staring down at Iruka's flushed and happy face.
Kakashi shook his head and tried to put it behind him as he stepped outside his flat and began walking lazily towards the Hokage Tower, too restless to even consider relaxing after his 'ordeal'. He had been out of commission, that was all, and a fellow shinobi had had to take care of him. It was normal to have his mind still jumpy after all that, especially at the thought of having his face exposed while he had been in that state.
It was a lucky thing that Iruka-sensei was dependable, hard-working, dedicated, firm, hot, smelled amazing, felt even more amazing--
"Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi kept his face behind his book, trying not to reach out and grab Iruka, who was approaching him from the opposite direction. He smelled so good.
"How are you feeling, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka asked, looking up at him with concerned brown eyes.
"Very well, thank you," Kakashi answered mildly, and tried not to appear that he was fleeing from the urge to snuggle with his human.
fin